sceaþa

Old English

Alternative forms

• scaþa, sċaþa

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *skaþō. Cognate with Old Saxon skaðo (Middle Low German scade), Dutch schade, Old High German skado (German Schaden), Old Norse skaði (Swedish skada).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃɑ.θɑ/, [ˈʃɑ.ðɑ]

Noun

sċeaþa m

1. one who injures; enemy, ravager, robber
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, Lives of Saints

     Is nū ēac to witenne þæt man witnaþ foroft þā ārlēasan sċeaþan and þā swicolan þēofas...

     It is also now known that we very often punish the honorless robbers and the treacherous thieves...

2. (heroic) warrior
3. (rare) injury

Declension

Weak:

	singular	plural
nominative	sċeaþa	sċeaþan
accusative	sċeaþan	sċeaþan
genitive	sċeaþan	sċeaþena
dative	sċeaþan	sċeaþum

Derived terms

• ātorsċeaþa
• hellesċeaþa
• sċeaþiġ
• þēofsċeaþa

Related terms

• sċeaþian
• sċeaþu

Descendants

• Middle English: schathe
• English: scathe